Bed pan washer



April 2, 1963 R. JEWELL 3,083,375

BED PAN WASHER Filed April 17, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 02

BY &

FIC14 A ril 2, 1963 R. 1.. JEWELL 3,083 75 BED PAN WASHER Filed April 17, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGS! 0 IN V EN TOR.

Un t d t e Patent ,0

3,083,375 BEDPAN WASHER Raymond L. Jewell, Erie, Pa, assignor to American Sterilizer Company, Erie, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania I Filed Apr. 17, 1962, Ser. No. 138,207 3 9 Claims. (Cl. l -'7) This invention is intended to improve the operation and simplify the construction of bed pan washers.

In the drawing, FIG. 1 is a sectional side elevation of a bed pan washer, FIG. 2 is a front elevation, FIG; 3 is a side elevation, FIG. 4 is a control diagram, and FIGS. 5a, 5b and 5c are sectional Views'illustl'ating the operation of the non-hold-open flush valves used in the washer.

The bed pan washer is shown in combination with a toilet 1 of the wall mounted, syphon jet type having a trap 2 and a seat 3 closing against a rim 4. At the back of the rim 4 is the washer cabinet 5 having an open lower end 6 of U-shape seated on and sealed to a complementary U-shaped section 7 at the back of the rim. The cabinet, accordingly, drains into the back of the toilet bowl. Since the cabinet is directly above the trap 2, it fits within the floor space required by the toilet bowl. At opposite sides of the lower end of the cabinet are hinge blocks 8 for the seat 3 and for a cover 9 for the cabinet. The parts so far described aredescribed in greater detail in application Serial No. 66,292.

At the top of the cabinet is a fitting 10 connecting a flush line 11 to the upper end of a spray head 12 which extends backward along the top of the cabinet as indicated at 13 and then downward along the back of the cabinet as indicated at 14 and terminates in a forwardly and upwardly extending gooseneck 15. The entire length of the spray head is useful. The section 13 along the top of the cabinet directs streams downward in the general direction of arrow 16 through suitably spaced perforations. The section 14 along the back wall ofthe cabinet directs streams horizontally in the general direction of arrow 17 through suitably spaced perforations. The gooseneck directs streams upward in the general direction of arrow 18 and laterally in the general directions of arrows 19, 20. The spray pattern is not limited to single streams in the directions of the arrows. There may be several streams which fan out to obtain the desired coverage. By this spray head construction, both the interior and exterior surfaces of urinals and bed pans may be washed. The gooseneck 15 as shown in FIG. 1 also provides a urinal supporting hook which positions the urinal so as to effectively wash the interior. The gooseneck also provides more effective washing of the interior of the bed pans when supported facing the spray head as shown in FIG. 3.

In addition to the flush line 11 supplying the spray nozzle 12, there is a flush line 21 connected directly to the toilet bowl. The flush line 21 provides a trap flushing cycle which flushes the bowl 1 and trap 2 so there Will be no lingering accumulation from the preceding washing cycle. The trap flushing cycle would be desirable even if the bed pan washer were not associated with a toilet bowl but were merely directly connected to the trap. There should be a trap flushing cycle following each washing cycle.

FIG. 4 diagrammatically illustrates the control for the washing and trap flushing cycles. As there shown, a suitable flush valve 22, for example a Sloan Crown valve as shown on pages 50, 51 of Catalog 60 of the Sloan Valve Company, is connected between hot water sup ply line 23 and the flush line 11. Upon operating the handle 24, hot water is supplied through the flush line 11 to the spray head 12 for a period of time and at a 3,083,375 Patented p 25" ice 2. rate of flow determined by the adjustment of the valve. Line 11 is connected through tube 25 to a" bellows" 26 connected through link 27 to the operating handle 29 of another flush valve 30 connected between cold water supply line 31 and the trap flush line 21'; When there is no water flowing through the line 11, the bellows'26 are collapsed an'dthe handle is lifted to the flush posit-ion shown in dotted lines. Whenever water flows through line 11, the pressure conducted through' tube 25 expands the bellows and returns the operating'handle 29 to the neutral position shown in full lines in FIG. 4; Returning the handle to theneutr'al position resets the valve because the valve is of the non-hold-ope'n type. Accordingly, as soon as the water pressure inzflush line 11 drops; due toclosing of the valve 22, the bellows 26' collapses and lifts the operating lever to the flush position. This causes coldwater flushing of the trap'thr'ough' the line 21 for a length of time and at a rate of flow determined by the setting of the valve 30. When the flush valve 30 shuts off, the operating'handle 29 remains in the upper or operating position but due to the non-hold-open' coristruction illustrated in FIGS. 5a, 5b, and 5c; this does not effect the operation of the valve.

In the particular flushj valve illustrated,- movement of the operating handle to the fiushposition moves a plunger 32 inward, thereby tilting a relief valve 33 as shown in FIG. 5a and starting the cycle; During flushing; the parts are inthe position shown in FIG. 5b. At'the'end of the flushing cycle, the parts return to theposition shown in FIG. 50. If the handle is still held in the operating position; the plunger 32 extends beneath the lower end of a telescoping gland 34 :on the relief valve which is stopped the position shown in FIG. 5c. No matter how long the operatingha'ndl e is held in the operating'position, a succeeding operating cycle of the valve cannot be initiated. The operating hahdleniust first be returned to the neutral position, retracting the plunger 32 and allowing the telescoping gland 3'4'to drop to the posi: tion shown' in' FIG. 5a; Fronrone aspect, movement of the handle from the neutral position trips the valve and return of the handle to the neutral position resets the valve so it can be tripped again. In the control, expansion of the bellows 26 resets the valve 30 and the collapse of the bellows 26 trips the valve.

Normal flushing of the toilet is through a handle 35 pivoted at 36 and connected through link 37 to the operating handle 29 for the flush valve 30. This does not affect the washer. As soon as the handle 35 is released, the handle 29 returns to the flush position shown in full lines in FIG. 2 and in dotted lines in FIG. 4.

The bellows 26 has inherent resilience tending to re turn it to the collapsed position. The bellows accordingly also serves as a spring. If the inherent resilience were insufiicient it could be supplemented by a spring.

The wash water flowing in flush line 11 is also used to aspirate detergent from a detergent container 38 through tube 39.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a Washer for bed pans and the like of the type having a spray line for spraying the pan, a drain line including a trap and a flush line for flushing the trap, a valve in the spray line, a non-hold-open flush valve in the flush line, means for biasing the non-hold-open valve to the tripped position, means responsive to the flow of water in the spray line for moving the non-hold-open valve to the reset position whereby tripping of the flush valve follows the shutting of the valve in the spray line.

2. In a washer for bed pans and the like of the type having a hot water line leading to a spray head for spraying the pan, a drain line including a trap and a cold water flush line for flushing the trap, a valve in the hot water line for controlling the flow to the spray head, a

non-hold-open flush valve in the flush line, means for biasing the non-hold-open valve to the tripped position, means responsive to the flow of water to the spray head for moving the non-hold-open valve to the reset position whereby tripping of the flush valve follows termination of flow of hot water to the spray head.

3. In a washer for bed pans and the like of the type having a spray line leading to a spray head for spraying the pan, a drain line including a trap anda flush line for flushing the trap, a valve in the spray line for controlling the flow to the spray head, a non-hold-open flush valve in the flush line, spring means for moving the non-holdopen valve to the tripped position, a bellows actuated by fluid from the sprayline for moving the non-hold-open valve to the reset position whereby tripping of the flush line valve follows termination of flow to the spray head.

4. In a washer for bed pans and the like, a cabinet having a door closing the front and top, back and side walls defining in conjunction with the door an enclosure, a drain connected to the bottom of the cabinet and including a drain trap, and inlet to the top of the cabinet, a spray head extending from the inlet back along the top wall and down the back wall and then forward and upward to terminate in an upwardly extending gooseneck over which a urinal may be hooked and supported in position for washing, said gooseneck being positioned to direct streams of water into the interior of a bed pan.

5. In a combined toilet and bed pan washer, a toilet bowl, a flush line for flushing the bowl and trap of the toilet, a washer cabinet draining to the toilet including a spray line leading to a spray head for spraying bed pans, a valve in the spray line, a non-hold-open flush valve in the flush line, means for biasing the non-hold-open valve to the tripped position, means responsive to the flow of water in the spray line for moving the non-hold-open valve to the reset position whereby tripping of the flush valve follows the termination of the shutting of the valve in the spray line, and an operating lever on the bowl connected to the non-hold-open valve for overcoming the biasing means to the flush valve.

6. In a washer for bed pans and the like of the type having a hot water line leading to a spray head for spraying the pan, a drain line including a trap and a cold water flush line for flushing the trap, a flush valve in the hot water line for controlling the flow to the spray head, a non-hold-open flush valve in the flush line, means for biasing the non-hold-open valve to the tripped position, means responsive to the flow'of water to the spray head for moving the non-hold open valve to the reset position whereby tripping of the flush valve follows termination of flow of hot water to the spray head.

7. In a combined toilet and bed pan washer, a toilet bowl, a flush line for flushing the bowl and trap of the toilet, a washer cabinet draining to the toilet including a spray line leading to a spray head for spraying bed pans, a valve in the spray line, a non-hold-opcn flush valve in the flush line, means for biasing the non-hold-open valve to the tripped position, means responsive to the flow of water in the spray line for moving the non-hold-open valve to the reset position whereby tripping of the flush valve follows the termination of the shutting of the valve in the spray line, and an operating lever on the bowl connected to the non-hold-open valve for overcoming the biasing means to the flush valve.

8. In a washer for bed pans and the like, a cabinet having front, top, back and side Walls, a drain connected to the bottom of the cabinet and including a drain trap, an inlet to the top of the cabinet, a spray head extending from the inlet back along the top wall and down the back wall and then forward and upward to terminate in an upwardly extending gooseneck over which a urinal may be hooked and supported in position for washing.

9. In a combined toilet and bed pan washer, a toilet bowl, a flush line for flushing the bowl and trap of the toilet, a washer cabinet draining to the toilet including a spray line leading to a spray head for spraying bed pans, a valve in the spray line, a non-hold-open flush valve in the flush line, means for biasing the non-holdopen valve to the tripped position, means responsive to the flow of water in the spray'line for moving the nonhold-open valve to the reset position whereby tripping of the flush valve follows the shutting of the valve in the spray line.

ReferencesCited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. IN A WASHER FOR BED PANS AND THE LIKE OF THE TYPE HAVING A SPRAY LINE FOR SPRAYING THE PAN, A DRAIN LINE INCLUDING A TRAP AND A FLUSH LINE FOR FLUSHING THE TRAP, A VALVE IN THE SPRAY LINE, A NON-HOLD-OPEN FLUSH VALVE IN THE FLUSH LINE, MEANS FOR BIASING THE NON-HOLD-OPEN VALVE TO THE TRIPPED POSITION, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE FLOW OF WATER IN THE SPRAY LINE FOR MOVING THE NON-HOLD-OPEN VALVE TO THE RESET POSITION WHEREBY TRIPPING OF THE FLUSH VALVE FOLLOWS THE SHUTTING OF THE VALVE IN THE SPRAY LINE. 